Chalk board clip



g- 29, 1967 H. L. DAUGHERTY 3,337,926

CHALK BOARD CLIP 1 Filed May 5, 1965 I NVE NTOR. HUGH L. DAUGHERTV BY W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,337,926 CHALK BOARD CLIP Hugh L. Daugherty, Newark, Calif. (22641 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward Airport, Calif.) Filed May 5, 1965, Ser. No. 453,426 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-84) This invention relates to means for securing paper and the like adjacent a surface and, more particularly, to an improved clip adapted to be mounted onto a surface and which serves to selectively secure papers and the like adjacent such surface.

There are now available many types of clips to be mounted to a surface and which will selectively hold or grip paper, paperboard, etc. adjacent the surface. For example, one type of such clip is commonly referred to as a chalk board clip and is designed to hang papers adjacent a chalk board. Chalk board clips are widely used in schools and lecture rooms to hang school papers and lecture displays.

Existing chalk board clips generally comprise a body member having a bracket portion for securing the clip to the border of a chalk board, usually the upper border thereof. The body member also includes a clip tongue portion which extends from the bracket portion. A leaf spring clip is secured by one of its ends to the body member, and the other end thereof is resiliently urged prohibitive.

again-st a surface of the clip tongue. The clip tongue of the body member and the leaf spring coact to hold the paper or the like desired to be hung or secured adjacent the chalk board. That is, the leaf spring clip can be moved away from the clip tongue against the spring pressure. Then, paper or the like can be inserted between such leaf spring and clip tongue and the spring released to urge the paper against the clip tongue. The spring and clip tongue thereby frictionally hold the paper.

Some chalk board clips now available also include a hook extending upwardly from the body member. This hook is adapted to receive an eyelet or grommet adjacent an edge of a map or chart or the like and thereby to provide means for suspending or hanging such map or chart. Quite often, maps or charts are provided in spring loaded reels mounted beneath a chalk board. Then to display a particular map or chart, it is pulled upward from its reel and eyelets in the upper edge thereof are placed over the hooks of 'a plurality of chalk board clips on the upper border of the chalk board.

As they are now designed, chalk board clips are difficult to use. That is, it is diflicult to separate the leaf spring from the clip tongue and hold them apart while paper or the like is inserted therebetween. This separation is usually accomplished by inserting the end of a finger between the clip tongue and spring to force the spring away from the tongue. This manner of opening 'the clip can sometimes be injurious to the finger or fingernails. Further, after so opening the clip with a finger, the finger is in the way of the insertion of the paper.

' To facilitate reference to charts and the like, it is often desirable to hang more than one chart from chalk board clips, one chart being hung in front of another. For this purpose, it is desirable to have more than one chart suspending hook on a chalk board clip. However, chalk board clips now in use generally only have one hook. This is so because of the expense and design difficulties presented in providing more than one hook. More particularly, one of the most economical ways of providing a hook on a chalk board clip is to stamp a hook from the clip body. The present hook on chalkboard clips is provided in this manner. However, as will become more apparent hereinafter, because of the necessity of securing the spring clip meansto the body mem- Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved chalk board clip which can be easily opened for the insertion of paper and the like therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved chalk board clip especially adapted to have more than one hanging hook.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an approved chalk board clip which is economical and which can be easily manufactured.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a chalk board depicting two chalk board clips of the invention attached to the upper border thereof; one of the clips being shown supporting a piece of paper;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of a preferred chalk board clip of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the chalk board clip of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is another side elevation view of the chalk board clip of FIGURE Z'depicting it in an open, paper receiving position;

FIGURE 5 depicts the hook and clip member of the chalk board clip of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE -6 is a front elevation of another chalk board clip of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the chalk board clip of FIGURE 6 depicting it in the open, paper receiving position.

With reference to FIGURES 1 through 4 of the drawings, it is seen that the chalk board clip of the embodiment shown therein broadly comprises a body member generally indicated by the reference numeral 11. This body member 11 includes a bracket portion or member 12 for securing the clip to the border of a chalk board. A hook 13 extends upwardly from the bracket portion 12 and is adapted to fit within an eyelet or grommet of a map or chart or the like to hang such map or chart. A shank portion 13 of the body 11 angularly extends from the bracket portion 12 and acts as a connection between the bracket portion and a clip portion or tongue 15. Spring clip means 16 is secured to the side of the body member which is adjacent the chalk board when the chalk board clip is mounted on the border thereof. A surface of the spring clip means is resiliently urged toward a. surface of the tongue 15 of the body member. It is between these surfaces that paper or the like is inserted to be held by the clip. I

In a conventional chalk board clip, the spring clip means just comprises a leaf spring of spring steel or the like. However, as depicted in FIGURES 2 through 4, the

spring clip means 16 of the invention includes a hook and clip member 17 as well as a leaf spring. The leaf spring 18 resiliently urges the hook clip member 17 against the tongue 15 to provide the surfaces between which paper or the like is inserted to be held.

As an important feature of the invention, clip mema 3 her 17 has a hook 19 which extends through an aperture 21 in the tongue 15 to the opposite side of such tongue. Thus, a second hook is provided on the chalk board clip without the necessity of stamping such hook from the body 11-or welding or otherwise securing such hook thereto. As can be seen, a second hook could not be stamped from the body because of the securance of the leaf spring thereto, without making the body much larger. Further, the labor expense of welding a second hook to the body member or directly riveting one thereto, is prohibitive. Besides enabling the economical provision of a second hook on the chalk board clip, the clip member 17 facilitates separation of the spring clip means 16 from the tongue 15. That is, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, such clip member 17 is rigid and provides a lever action to facilitate such separation.

As another important feature of the invention, a push button 22 extends through tongue 15 and is secured in engagement with the spring clip means 16. Thus, to separate the spring clip means from the tongue 15, it is only necessary to press the push button 22 inward. Paper or the like can then be easily inserted between the spring clip means and the tongue 15. The push button is thereafter released to permit the spring clip means to resiliently urge such paper against the tongue 14 and thereby provide the desired holding thereof.

The push button 22 eliminates the difliculties, and possible injury to fingers and fingernails, associated with prior manners of separating a spring clip means from a tongue. Further, the push button does not obstruct the insertion of paper and the like into the clip after the spring clip means and tongue are so separated. As is seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the push button 22 also acts as a rivet to secure the leaf spring 16 to the hook and clip member 17. Thus, labor and materials are conserved.

In more detail, it is seen that the body member 11 of the embodiment of FIGURES 2 through 4 is an elongated plate of steel or the like. The bracket portion 12, shank portion 14, and clip portion or tongue 15 are defined by such plate being outwardly bent on a line 23 transversely thereof and being again inwardly bent on another transverse line 24. In this manner, the tongue portion 15 is laterally offset outward from and parallel to the bracket portion 12, with the shank portion 14 acting as a connection therebetween.

As mentioned before, the bracket portion 12 has means for securing the chalk board clip to the border of a chalk board. More particularly, the upper end of the bracket portion'terminates in spaced recurved prongs 26. A corresponding lip 27 is stamped from the bracket portion adjacent its lower end and faces the prongs 26. The recurved prongs 26 and lip 27 coact to provide a guideway for receiving flanges 28 on the upper border 29 of a chalk board, generally indicated by the numeral 31 in FIG- URE 1. It is to be appreciated that with this particular construction for securing a chalk board clip to the border of a chalk board, the clip can longitudinally slide on the chalk board border. Thus, the horizontal positioning of each clip on the border can be adjusted as desired.

Hook 13 of the clip is stamped from the body plate intermediate the recurved prongs 26 and is bent outwardly to project from the body and enable an eyelet of a chart or the like to be fitted thereon. It is to be noted that hook 13 extends upwardly above and beyond the bracket por 'tion 12 to facilitate easy placement of an eyelet oversuch hook.

Shank 14 of the body member 11 extends outwardly at an angle from the lower end of the bracket portion 12. Such shank tapers inwardly from the bracket portion, and isintegral with the upper end of the tongue 15. The tongue 15 extends downward from the shank at an angle which is complementary to the angle by which such shank extends from the bracket portion 12. h

The previously mentioned aperture 21 through tongue 15.for hook 19 is longitudinally aligned with a second 4 aperture 29 through which extends shank 31 of the pushbutton 22. The aperture 21 for the hook can be of a semicircular configuration as depicted, while the configuration of the aperture 29 can generally correspond to the cross sectional configuration of the pushbutton shank 31.

Spring clip means 16 is secured on one side of the body member 11 by means of a rivet 32. More particularly, such rivet extends through the shank 14 and through the spring 18 adjacent the upper end of such spring. The spring 18 extends downwardly from the'shank and longitudinally along the tongue 15. The lower end of the leaf spring terminates beyond the aperture 29 in the tongue, and is provided adjacent thereto with a transverse indented portion 33. Hook and clip member 17 has a transverse projecting portion 34 corresponding to and in mating engagement with, the indented portion 33 of the leaf spring. The indentation 33 and projection 34 assure'the proper positioning of the leaf spring with respect to the hook and clip member during assembling of the invention,

and also coact to obviate any tendency of the hook and j 7 clip member 17 to rotate with respect to the leaf spring V 18 about the push button 22.

Hook 19 is formed from the hook and clip member 7 17 being stamped therefrom, in a manner similar to the manner in which the hook 13 is formed from the body member 11. Further, as depicted .in FIGURE 5, such hook and clip member has spaced prongs 36, one on each ration of the spring clip means from the tongue. The

lower end of the hook and clip member 17 is curved outwardly away from the tongue 15 in order to provide a guide which will facilitate insertion of paper into the clip after the button 22 is pressed.

If the chalk board clip of the invention is not going to be used in conjunction with chalkboards wherein it is desired to hang more than one chart or map at one time, the second hook 19 is unnecessary. In such a situation, for economic reasons, it is advantageous to not have the hook and clip member, but still provide a pushbutton to facilitate opening of. the clip. An embodiment of the invention without the hook and clip member is depicted in FIG- URES =6 and 7. The spring clip means of this embodiment is only comprised of a leaf spring 37. This leaf spring extends the full length of the tongue 15 andl by itself coacts therewith to provide securing of paper or the like. Button 38 extends through the tongue 15 in a manner similar to that in the earlier embodiment. However, since a hook and clip member is not provided, it is not necessary that such button be secured to the spring clip means.

. Rather the button is just in engagement with the leaf spring 37. However, as depicted in FIGURE 6, the end from coming out of the aperture 29 through the tongue 15.

In all other respects this second embodiment of the invention is similar to the embodiment of FIGURES 2 through 4. For that reason, like parts are referred to by like numerals and such parts will not be again described in detail. a

From the above, it is evident that the clip of the invention has more features and is easier to use than prior clips, and yet can be economically manufactured. Of course, it is to be realized that the clip can be adapted for securing paper of the like adjacent surfaces other than chalk boards within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: V

1. A chalk board clip comprising an elongated body member which includes a bracket portion for securing the body member to a chalk board border, a clip portion, and a shank portion securing said clip portion to said bracket portion in laterally offset parallel relationship thereto; a

spring clip means secured to said body member with a surface thereof resiliently urged toward a surface of the clip portion of the body member; and a pushbutton extending through an aperture in said clip portion to said surface thereof and in engagement with said spring clip means for selectively separating said surface of said spring clip means from the surface of the clip portion.

2. A chalk board clip comprising a body member including means for securing said body member to a chalk board, a spring clip means secured on one side of said body member, said spring clip means including a leaf spring secured adjacent one end thereof to said body member and a clip member secured to said spring and being resiliently urged by said spring toward one surface of the clip portion of the body member, said clip member having a hook extending through an aperture in said body member to the opposite side thereof; and a bushbutton extending through said body member from said opposite side and in engagement with said spring clip means for selectively separating the surface of said clip member from the surface of said body member.

3. A chalk board clip according to claim 2 wherein a second book is rigidly secured to said body member.

4. A chalk board clip comprising an elongated plate body member including a bracket portion having a hook extending upwardly therefrom and means for slidably securing the clip to a chalkboard border for longitudinal adjustment with respect thereto, a clip tongue, and a shank interconnecting the clip tongue to the bracket portion in laterally off-set parallel relationship thereto; a spring clip means on one side of said body, said spring clip means including a leaf spring secured adjacent one end thereof to said shank, and a hook and clip member secured to said leaf spring with a hook thereof extending through an aperture in said tongue to the opposite side thereof, said leaf spring resiliently urging a surface of said hook and clip member against a surface of said tongue; and a push button extending through said tongue from said opposite side and rigidly securing said hook and clip member to said leaf spring, said button being operable upon pressing to selectively separate said surface of said hook and clip member from said surface of said tongue.

5. A chalk board clip comprising an elongated plate body member including a bracket portion having a hook extending upwardly therefrom and means for slidably securing the clip to a chalkboard border for longitudinal adjustment with respect thereto, a clip tongue, and a shank interconnecting the clip tongue to the bracket portion in laterally off-set parallel relationship thereto; a spring clip means on one side of said body comprising a leaf spring secured adjacent one end thereof to said shank and extending the length of said tongue, 21 surface of said spring being resiliently urged against said tongue; and a pushbutton extending through said tongue and into engagement with said leaf spring, said button being operable upon pressing to selectively separate said surface of said leaf spring from said surface of said tongue.

'6. A chalk board clip comprising an elongated body member which includes a bracket portion having means for securing the body member to a chalk board border, a clip portion, and means securing the clip portion to said bracket portion in laterally offset parallel relationship to said means for securing the body member to a chalk board border; a spring clip means secured to said body member with a surface thereof resiliently urged toward a surface of the clip portion of the body member; and a push button extending through an aperture in said clip portion to said surface thereof and in engagement with said spring clip means for selectively separating said surface of said spring clip means from the surface of the clip portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 179,765 7/ 1876 Bryan 24-252 818,421 4/ 1906 Denning 24-252 961,626 6/ 1910 Maitland. 1,944,610 1/1934 Person. 2,622,300 12/ 1952 Marziani 24252 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Examiner. 

6. A CHALK BOARD CLIP COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY MEMBER WHICH INCLUDES A BRACKET PORTION HAVING MEANS FOR SECURING THE BODY MEMBER TO A CHALK BOARD BORDER, A CLIP PORTION, AND MEANS SECURING THE CLIP PORTION TO SAID BRACKET PORTION IN LATERALLY OFFSET PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID MEANS FOR SECURING THE BODY MEMBER TO A CHALK BOARD BORDER; A SPRING CLIP MEANS SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER WITH A SURFACE THEREOF RESILIENTLY URGED TOWARD A SURFACE OF THE CLIP PORTION OF THE BODY MEMBER; AND A PUSH BUTTON EXTENDING THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID CLIP PORTION TO SAID SURFACE THEREOF AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPRING CLIP MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY SEPARATING SAID SURFACE OF SAID SPRING CLIP MEANS FROM THE SURFACE OF THE CLIP PORTION. 